Meet the Carolina Jessamine
Carolina Jessamine | Gelsemium sempervirens
How do you know it’s me?:
I am an evergreen vine that climbs by twining.
My leaves are opposite and a glossy green color. They have a long, pointed oval shape.
My evergreen leaves may develop yellow to purple hues in the winter time.
My golden yellow flowers have a sweet scent and a tubular shape. They may be solitary or clustered together.
I have smooth, hairless stems that can be green or burgundy to copper colored.
How big do I grow?: 10’ - 20’ height and 20’ - 30’ spread.
Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Full sun to part shade.
Where I prefer to put my roots: I prefer moist, organically rich, well-drained soils, and will tolerate some periods of wet soil and drought.
Hardiness: Zone 6-10
Original home: I am native to the southern United States and Mexico to Guatemala.
Colors: Canary yellow flowers and evergreen foliage.
When I bloom: Late winter to spring, depending on location. I sometimes bloom again in the fall.
Wildlife friends: Pollinators are very attracted to my flowers, especially hummingbirds and butterflies.
Flora Fun Facts: I am the state flower of South Carolina! But despite my sweet fragrance, I am highly poisonous when consumed.
More Info: In warmer regions of the southern U.S., this vine can be found twining among the treetops in open woodland areas, dropping twinkling yellow flowers onto the forest floor below. The Carolina Jessamine can create a stunning wall of yellow and glossy green foliage when used as a trellis plant, or a dense, tangled mound when left to its own devices.
A member of the Gelsemiaceae family.
Can be grown as a vine or a ground cover. If planted as a ground cover, it will likely try to climb a tree or other vertical structure if not monitored.
Great plant selection for a vertical screen or trellis, in a pollinator garden, or as an erosion control plant along a slope.
Needs protection from winter winds when grown in zone 6.
Can be pruned after flowering to shape and maintain size.
All parts of this plant are poisonous.
